Is this typical practices for a high volume detail shop?

I

imported_NHBFAN

New member
I got the opportunity today to watch a high volume detailing operation today, although I'm not sure what exactly was going on.



After washing the vehicle they moved it to an area where 2 or 3 people at a time worked on it. 1 person clean interior, 1 person cleaned windows and dressed tires, and 1 person operated a DeWalt rotary with a large wool bonnet (12"), btw, I have zero rotary experience.



This particular shop used AutoMagic products.



The guy with the rotary layed down lines of products from a squeeze bottle directly to a panel then buffed (at relatively low rpms) with the large bonnet until the product was almost gone. He then wiped with a terry cloth rag (didn't see a MF all day), but not very thorougly. After he completed the buffing process he inspected each panel and removed any remaining product with a spray (QD?)



Most of the vehicles were late models that didn't require extensive paint restoration (compounding). I'm guessing the AutoMagic stuff was a 1-step cleaner wax.
 
NHBFAN said:
I got the opportunity today to watch a high volume detailing operation today, although I'm not sure what exactly was going on.



After washing the vehicle they moved it to an area where 2 or 3 people at a time worked on it. 1 person clean interior, 1 person cleaned windows and dressed tires, and 1 person operated a DeWalt rotary with a large wool bonnet (12"), btw, I have zero rotary experience.



This particular shop used AutoMagic products.



The guy with the rotary layed down lines of products from a squeeze bottle directly to a panel then buffed (at relatively low rpms) with the large bonnet until the product was almost gone. He then wiped with a terry cloth rag (didn't see a MF all day), but not very thorougly. After he completed the buffing process he inspected each panel and removed any remaining product with a spray (QD?)



Most of the vehicles were late models that didn't require extensive paint restoration (compounding). I'm guessing the AutoMagic stuff was a 1-step cleaner wax.
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Sounds like an assembly line type operation. It never works for my high volume operation. I always had 1 person do each vehicle from start to finish. At times I had a person just doing preps, but that was it. I had very good luck with Auto Magic and they do offer a few 1 step polishes as well as a complete correction line too. Were the cars being detailed for dealerships and how did they look? Probably not of Autopian standards I'm sure. Don't expect many people hear to condone this behavior.
 
David Fermani said:
Sounds like an assembly line type operation. It never works for my high volume operation. I always had 1 person do each vehicle from start to finish. At times I had a person just doing preps, but that was it. I had very good luck with Auto Magic and they do offer a few 1 step polishes as well as a complete correction line too. Were the cars being detailed for dealerships and how did they look? Probably not of Autopian standards I'm sure. Don't expect many people hear to condone this behavior.
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This particular operation is reputable and has been in busy for >20 years. I believe they were working on both dealership and customer cars. Like I said, I didn't see any miraculous transformation of beaters, as most of the vehicles were fairly late models, but their process did seem thorough.



I was curious to see the large wool bonnets, but they covered a large area quicly.
 
seems like a wham bam kind of place most of the cars probly have minor problems so they are just looking for some slight repair, but the wool pad does sound questionable



THO after reading your post I would not my car going through that
 
It sounds typical for the shops I have seen. I don't know of they know why it is set up that way.

There are two schools of thought on the 3 man per vehicle operation vs. the 1 man per vehicle.

1. if you are paying a guy to do interiors all day, he is going to get faster and better at doing interiors.

2. When people get better and faster, you can better estimate time and product usage.

3. Accountability. if I do only winodws and wheels, you know who to fire if the windows and wheels are dirty.

4. Shop organization. You can designate areas where only certain activities take place, keeps things neater and aids in loss prevention.



 
jsatek said:
I've never seen a PC in a high volume shop.

Typical chemical:

Car Brite

Auto Magic

Malco

Meguiars

And they generally go full line. no mix and match, its easier to order and stock.
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They had DeWalt rotaries ... that's what the AutoMagic distributor carries.



Is the 12" pad/bonnet typical?
 
jsatek said:
I've never seen a PC in a high volume shop.
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I actualy had 4 PC's on hand and most people finished with them. I had a rule that if you used a wool pad, you had to foam pad after (then LSP w/PC). Everyone spurred every kind of pad(wool/foam) before doing each panel to eliminate swirls.
 
NHBFAN said:
They had DeWalt rotaries ... that's what the AutoMagic distributor carries.



Is the 12" pad/bonnet typical?
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From what I see most places have one person per car.



The 12" pad is pretty close to typical. We actually sell GEM Polishers to a lot of volume shops and they are 11" pads.
 
Why are wool pads so taboo? Coming from a body shop background and lately visiting my old employer's - they still use wool. I think it's more of a training and technique thing than anything else. Let's face it, some folks can turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, and others should stick to a PC and a polishing pad. Me? I'm learning, I feel I have a decent grasp of rotaries and foam pads. Some day, I'll take that step up to wool - but I'm definitely going to practice on junk panels first. Going back to the topic of this shop, I'd compare the before and after results and if they were good, then what's the problem? The fact that they've been around for 20 years should speak for itself.
 
JuneBug said:
Why are wool pads so taboo? Coming from a body shop background and lately visiting my old employer's - they still use wool. I think it's more of a training and technique thing than anything else. Let's face it, some folks can turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, and others should stick to a PC and a polishing pad. Me? I'm learning, I feel I have a decent grasp of rotaries and foam pads. Some day, I'll take that step up to wool - but I'm definitely going to practice on junk panels first. Going back to the topic of this shop, I'd compare the before and after results and if they were good, then what's the problem? The fact that they've been around for 20 years should speak for itself.
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Because wool has too much cut and generates too much heat for a simple detail. That is the biggest concern.
 
I would guess that three men on a car is a good indication of hourly wage employees.

The shop I learned at, way back in the 70's, paid by the car. The detailer of that car got tips and referals so it was advantagous to do a good job.
 
Quote:

Because wool has too much cut and generates too much heat for a simple detail. That is the biggest concern.



I thought there were different types of wool pads, sure are many strengths of compounds and polish. But has anybody done a "MythBusters" type of experiment where you take a scrap hood, use a foam pad - say a yellow LC with Meg's 84, and a wool pad with #84 and do a side by side comparision? Same rotary, same pressure, same speed and time over the surface. I would love to know the results of this. I may do it myself and post the results if I can figure out how to make a jig for the buffer to run on. Two things I do know, it's very hard to find wool pads from the usual web sites and secondly, every detail shop I've ever been to uses wool pads.
 
JuneBug said:
Quote:

Because wool has too much cut and generates too much heat for a simple detail. That is the biggest concern.



I thought there were different types of wool pads, sure are many strengths of compounds and polish. But has anybody done a "MythBusters" type of experiment where you take a scrap hood, use a foam pad - say a yellow LC with Meg's 84, and a wool pad with #84 and do a side by side comparision? Same rotary, same pressure, same speed and time over the surface. I would love to know the results of this. I may do it myself and post the results if I can figure out how to make a jig for the buffer to run on. Two things I do know, it's very hard to find wool pads from the usual web sites and secondly, every detail shop I've ever been to uses wool pads.
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Most of the volume shops are doing a quick one step product detail. Most of the ones I sell to use mostly the LCM black or blue pad. From my experience no wool pad will be as gentle as that.

But that is just my two cents.
 
At our shop most jobs are done with a wool pad. Black and dark colors are done with a foam pad. After the buff out the car is also waxed with a PC. We have a one step to buff with but we still wax after. Since we are a high line restoration shop we also have a paint finishing dept. that is different from the detailing dept. These are the guys that color sand and buff new paint.
 
another high volume charmer for you.

I knew a shop in Port Chester NY that wouldn't WASH the cars until they were done polishing.

Compound

Polish

Interior

Wash

Wax



I paid him $80 per car back in the 90's.
 
I'd be worried about how many microns of paint were being removed with wool for no reason, as well as the fact that one steppers don't offer much in either direction - not abrasive enough to really correct a lot and not enough of a lsp to have any durability (although some are starting to report decent durability from poli-seal). I think a lot of the reason some high volume detail shops stay in business is because they are hugely more visible than most detailers due to the physical location/signage etc, and more of the masses become customers for that reason, as well as those particular customers being less discerning than your average autopian - they just want it to be shiny and clean..



David Fermani - I see you've posted in this thread - your pms are full and I can't send you one..clean em out bud and shoot me one when you have :)
 
I bet if you looked at the cars in the sun they'd be covered in rotary holograms. I don't know of anyone who can finish out completely swirl free using wool. The only body shop in Dallas I'd trust with my car goes wool > foam polishing > foam waffle finishing.



Sounds like a typical high volume place. Nothing wrong with specializing in one particular area of the car, I did with that with my kids this summer, works well if you have competent people.
 
Scottwax said:
I bet if you looked at the cars in the sun they'd be covered in rotary holograms. I don't know of anyone who can finish out completely swirl free using wool. The only body shop in Dallas I'd trust with my car goes wool > foam polishing > foam waffle finishing.



Sounds like a typical high volume place. Nothing wrong with specializing in one particular area of the car, I did with that with my kids this summer, works well if you have competent people.
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I remember guys in the Boogie Down Bronx (Jerome Ave) that used to pride themselves in rotary holograms. They told me they thought if they lined them up just right, the car looked like it was just buffed???



PRIDE in job done poorly!
 
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